


I Am Not There

by JadedSkylark



Series: Misfits Anonymous [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Ghost!Asahi, Jinn!Noya, M/M, dont worry even though it says character death asahi is a ghost so hes still... kinda alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:25:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4301172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadedSkylark/pseuds/JadedSkylark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of how a man died. The tampering of a Jinn was enough for his life- or rather, his death- to be forever changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am Not There

_Do not stand at my grave and weep;_

_I am not there. I do not sleep._

**The year is 1182.**

The sound of shattering glass awoke Asahi. He bolted up from his mat and looked around in a panic, hair knotting around his shoulders in a mess. He smelled burning and was on his feet in an instant. His throat was dry as he grabbed a small, golden container and ran from his home. The Taira Clan had ambushed his town in the middle of the night, and Asahi felt his hands shaking as he ran from the flames consuming his town. He heard screaming, but he pushed himself to go faster, go further. This wasn't what he had expected to happen, but he knew he needed to get away. He couldn't be near the conflict. It was too.. terrifying.

Asahi's breathing began to accelerate as his feet hit the ground hard, sending snow flying in all directions. He ran through the frozen forest, putting as much distance between himself and the attacking clan as possible. He could hardly hear the fires anymore, so the man allowed himself to slow- but only slightly. He still needed to get away, and the snow could be just as dangerous as the fire could be. The danger was too much for him, and if he got away... to somewhere new, somewhere warmer... he would be safe. He would be in no danger of dying.

 

_I am a thousand winds that blow._

_I am the diamond glints on snow._

 

 

The man felt a shiver run through his body as the cold began to wear him down. He pressed onward, curling around the container he held dear as if trying to keep it warm instead of himself. It was as important to him as even his life was; it was his one link to his parents, and he took it with him where ever he went. This time was no exception. It was almost as if this container was the sole reason Asahi was still living some days. If it was safe... so was he.

The snow began to fall in a thick blanket, coating Asahi's hair in a layer of white to mask the natural brown. He grimaced as his body began to feel cold, but he needed to find somewhere safe to stay. In the darkness of night, on the coldest of nights, Asahi needed somewhere safe. He was a walking disaster, and he needed to be safe from even himself. 

A light shone through the trees, flickering alive in Asahi's distant gaze. A small gasp of surprise escaped his lips in a puff of fog, and the man found his legs moving of their own accord as he ran toward the light. As he grew closer, he began to notice that the trees were slowly fading away, giving way to small homes and snow covered beds of sleeping grains. A smile spread across the man's lips, his face lighting up in joy, as he saw a single patch of fire in the middle of the town. An elderly gentleman was seated by the flame, legs crossed as he watched the younger man approach the fire quickly. 

Asahi pressed himself close to the fire to warm himself up, his container clutched tightly to his chest. The elderly man gave him a gentle smile, which Asahi returned shyly. The stranger patted the ground beside him, giving the spot to the larger man.

"Come sit. You must be freezing, boy." 

He didn't hesitate to take that offer, tucking the container in his lap as he held his hands out to the fire.

"The Taira get your village?" The man's voice seemed to cut through Asahi's body like a knife.

The younger lowered his head, expression becoming forlorn. His village was gone. It wasn't like it was the first in his life to be completely overtaken or destroyed, but he still felt a sadness any time his home was torn from him. The people there hadn't deserved the fate they had been given, and Asahi had just run away so as to not suffer the same fate.

"Yes," he mumbled. "I ran away when they started the fires."

The elderly man nodded, reaching over to pat Asahi on the shoulder. "You're welcome to stay here then."

Asahi forced a small smile on his face, expressing his gratitude to the man. "Thank you. I'll be sure to pull my own weight come spring, as well, sir."

"That's the spirit!" The elderly man laughed, smacking Asahi on the back playfully.

 

_I am the sunlight on ripened grain._

_I am the gentle autumn rain._

 

Spring came quickly, and Asahi didn't spare a moment in going through with his promise to pull his own weight. The elderly man had turned out to be the head of the village, and he was always willing to take in those who had lost their own villages. Asahi made the man proud with his work ethic, and the man gave Asahi a new home in return. Asahi knew it was only a matter of time until this new village was destroyed, though. It seemed that destruction followed him where ever he went, so he was never surprised when the danger grew and grew until those around him were lost to their ends.

It may have been morbid is Asahi had not been given this fate when only a young child. His parents had passed on, leaving him alone and scared in his early years. He had grown to fear death, of the end, of danger. Asahi became paranoid, and eventually his paranoia gave way to true fear. The first home he had ever had was destroyed, everyone killed- except for him. He had run away.

And some nights, similar to this one, he could hear their screams for help. Some nights his nightmares grew to much for him to stomach, and he lost his will to sleep. he almost lost his will to continue living. But even so, on these nights, the darkest nights of Asahi's life, he was always given a reason to continue living.

His reason to continue was his golden container. It contained a being who had grown to be Asahi's friend, his companion.

* * *

 

**A light shone brightly as Asahi, a young child, clutched the golden container to his chest. Tears fell freely onto the metal, onto the flooring below. His sight was blurry as he wiped a hand across his widening eyes. The light shone brighter as Asahi tried to wipe away the salty water from the containers surface. The metal began to grow hot beneath his fingers, but Asahi held on tightly. He needed to keep a hold of this. He couldn't lose it!** **He clutched the container tightly as the light slowly died down, disappearing all-together in a matter of seconds.**

**"Woooaaa! I thought you two would neeever let me out again!" a voice said from above Asahi's head.**

**The boy looked up, eyes seeing nothing as he whipped his head around to look for who had spoken. He saw nothing for a moment before a dusting of blue smoke began to take a humanoid shape beside him. A small male was soon standing beside Asahi, ankles and wrists covered by deep golden shackles. His body was barely covered by a white, silken material. It draped across his chest, leaving most of his light blue skin visible.**

**Asahi's eyes were wide in awe as he took in the man's- no, he had to still be a boy- appearance. That is, until the other turned his golden gaze upon the other boy. His body began to shake in fear as the man's eyes seemed to bore a hole into him.**

**"Huh? Where are Takako and Saburou?" the boy knelt down to look closely at Asahi's face, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you take my container from them?"**

**Asahi finally found his voice. "No! I'm- I'm their s-son!"**

**The other stared at Asahi a moment longer before a smile broke out on his face. "I know! I was just messing with you, kid."**

**Asahi curled in on himself, eyeing the other with a certain distrust. His voice was small when he spoke again. "Wh-who are you?"**

**The short man plopped down on the floor in front of Asahi. "I'm a Jinn, so I really don't have a name. Your parents called me Yuu, though."**

* * *

 

Yuu was stretched out beside Asahi, arms behind his head as his eyes continued to stay locked onto the roof of their small home. Asahi was seated a little ways away, carefully practicing his writing. The Jinn glanced over and chuckled at the concentrated look on the other man's face. He shuffled his clothing and crawled over to peek over at what Asahi was writing. A small hand reached out to point at particularly shaky stroke on one character.

"That one doesn't go here if you're trying to write what I'm presuming you're trying to write," he informed the larger man. Yuu leaned against Asahi's arm, smiling up at his companion. "What are you trying to write exactly?"

Asahi jumped at the added weight of Yuu's body, and his hand paused mid-stroke. "I, uh..." Suddenly all knowledge of what he was writing flew from his mind. His lips turned down in a small pout. "I forgot."

The Jinn laughed, flopping back onto the floor beside Asahi. "That's priceless! You always forget when I ask!" Yuu rolled over to look up at Asahi from the ground. "Come to bed. You look tired."

The human's pout deepened, but he nodded in agreement. "Okay..."

 

_When you awaken in the morning's hush,_

_I am the swift uplifting rush_

_Of quiet birds in circled flight._

 

It was morning the next time his village was destroyed. The Taira Clan's army had made their way through the forest, stopping by the villages Asahi had somehow passed, and attacked at dawn. Asahi was in the field this time, but his container was at home. He felt a darkness twist around his heart as he ran through the field of grain, his feet taking him toward the danger- toward the horror of death and destruction- toward Yuu. He needed to keep the Jinn near him at all times; he needed to take Yuu with him. The Jinn was the only link to his past... The Jinn was his only friend.

Asahi dodged around a man wielding a sword, only one goal in his mind. The danger that once would have had him paralyzed in fear was simply a dull ache in his stomach. Asahi was too worried for Yuu to care that he himself could die from this. He ignored the shout of the man he had left in his dust. He ignored the feeling of being pursued as the man began to chase after him. He ignored the searing pain as a sword was slid into his back.

He ignored the feeling of coldness that spread through him the instant he burst into his home. He ignored the pain when it took hold of him as he wrapped his fingers around the golden container. Asahi even ignored the shining light that spread from the container as he collapsed onto the ground. A dull ringing was overtaking his hearing, but he clearly heard a yell of his own name.

Asahi's eyes slid closed, the sound of something metal sliding out of flesh reaching his ears before the world went dark.

 

_I am the soft stars that shine at night._

The darkness seemed eternal to Asahi. His body felt like it was floating, but there was no up nor down to confirm his floating feeling. He tried to open his eyes, but he seemed detached from his body somehow and found that it was impossible to open his eyes. He felt panic grip his soul as he realized he was dead. He was truly dead, and this was his eternal slumber. There was nothing more than this for Asahi. The darkness was his only companion now. If he could cry, he would have been. He was cold from the crippling fear of being grasped by death. He couldn't feel his own body.

Time passed differently in death. Asahi wasn't sure if he had been suspended there for only minutes or thousands of years. It was nothingness that he experienced, and time was meaningless in death. He had no reason to know how long he was there- it wasn't like it would be ending any time soon.

 

_Do not stand at my grave and cry;_

 

At least, that had been what he had believed. A light cut through the darkness and blinded Asahi, and he found that he could now blink. He looked around, seeing his own body once again. He gasped in surprise as he looked back toward the light. There was a door.

Asahi moved a foot forward... and then the other. He was overjoyed at being able to move again, and his legs soon began to sprint toward the door in the light. He stopped just barely before running into the door. A large hand reached out, gingerly touching the door before him... and he pushed.

The light grew brighter, blinding Asahi to the point where he had to close his eyes again. When he opened them, he saw a sea of green before him. He took a step through the door and found himself surrounded by grass. The door was gone when he turned to look back and instead was a small, light-blue skinned Jinn. Asahi felt his chest tighten in happiness at the sight of Yuu, tears brimming in those golden eyes.

Yuu launched himself at Asahi, wrapping his arms around the man's neck in a tight hug. Asahi felt liquid against his skin, but he didn't care. He wrapped his own arms around Yuu's waist and hugged him back.

"Asahi, Asahi, Asahi." Yuu chanted his name in a way that made Asahi smile.

"Yuu, I'm sorry I.."

"No!" Yuu cut him off, leaning away enough to get a look at Asahi's face. "Don't apologize. I couldn't save you sooner, so now you're... not even alive."

 

_I am not there._

 

"What are you talking about? I'm here right now, so how am I not alive?" Asahi tilted his head, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. He felt alive, so how was he not?

The Jinn lowered his gaze, sliding out of Asahi's grasp. It was then that Asahi noticed the shackles that had surrounded Yuu's wrists and ankles were no longer there. He looked down at his own wrists and saw them there instead. His confusion only grew when he realized there was a thin, almost invisible string connecting his wrists to Yuu's. 

"Yuu," Asahi whispered. "What did you do?"

"I-" the smaller male began before shutting his mouth again. He glared down at his own feet before closing his eyes in defeat. "I connected your soul to me. In a way.. I own you, but in a way, _you_ also own _me_."

Asahi reached a hand out to gently touch the Jinn's shoulder. His voice was soft yet curious when he spoke once again. "What am I then?"

Yuu raised his head and looked at Asahi, their gazes locking in the silence. Yuu's lips moved, and Asahi almost missed what he said as he gazed at the other.

"You're a Spirit."

 

_I did not die._

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Poem is "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye.


End file.
